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Official Description

"Barbie® magically comes to life through stunning computer animation in this modern adaptation of the E.T.A. Hoffman classic. The tale begins when Barbie®, playing the role of Clara, receives a beautiful wooden Nutcracker as a gift from her favorite Aunt. That night, while Clara sleeps, the Nutcracker springs to life to ward off the evil Mouse King who has invaded Clara's parlor. She awakes and aids the Nutcracker, but the Mouse King shrinks her by casting an evil spell. Clara and the Nutcracker set off on a spectacular adventure to find the Sugarplum Princess, the only one who can break the Mouse King's evil enchantment.

The tale is enhanced with spectacular dance scenes created by the acclaimed choreographer Peter Martins, and features the beloved music by Tchaikovsky. The real-life movements of dancers from the New York City Ballet bring the beauty of ballet to the screen in a way never seen before.

Barbie in the Nutcracker™ shows that, if you are kind, clever and brave, anything is possible...."

Plot

Clara and Tommy Drosselmayer have been living with their stern grandfather ever since their parents died. Grandfather Drosselmayer and Aunt Elizabeth have different ideas about how to raise children. At Christmas, Clara receives a Nutcracker doll from Aunt Elizabeth. Clara's little brother Tommy accidentally breaks the Nutcracker's arm. Clara fixes the Nutcracker and falls asleep in her parlor with it but the parlor is invaded by a Mouse King and his army, searching for the Nutcracker. Nutcracker comes to life and fights, but when Clara tries to help she is shrunk. When the army retreats, thanks to Clara hurling her shoe at the Mouse King, Nutcracker tells her he only looks like a Nutcracker because of the Mouse King. Both victims of the evil king's magic, they have to find the Sugar Plum Princess, the most powerful faerie in Parthenia.

Clara receives a necklace which will let her return home at any time, to her normal size, and she and the Nutcracker go through a mouse hole. It leads to caves made of ice, and leave there thanks to snow faeries breaking the ice. They enter Parthenia, where the Mouse King is ruling, and the king's spy, a bat named Pimm, sees Clara and the Nutcracker. He goes to inform his master and he sets the soldiers to capture the Nutcracker. Clara and Nutcracker go to a destroyed Gingerbread Village and meet two children and a horse. The children, Peppermint Girl and Gingerbread Boy, and the horse, Marzipan, travel with Clara and Nutcracker because they are alone.

Clara learns that Prince Eric is the rightful ruler of Parthenia, but he mysteriously disappeared. The group goes into a forest but soldiers chase them, so they hide in the treetops. They meet Major Mint and Captain Candy, and some villagers, who interrogate them. Nutcracker is thought to be a "wooden spy", but he and Clara explain they are searching for the Sugar Plum Princess, who will put an end to the Mouse King's reign. Major Mint does not believe their plan will work, but he and Captain Candy decide to go with Clara and Nutcracker.

The children stay with the villagers and Clara tells Nutcracker she has figured out that he is Prince Eric, but he does not want to be the prince as his subjects think lowly of him; he just wants to make them happy. Meanwhile, the Mouse King punishes his soldiers for not capturing Nutcracker and looks in a book for information about the Sugar Plum Princess but finds barely any. He creates a rock giant to destroy the Nutcracker.

Clara, the Nutcracker, Major Mint and Captain Candy start their search the next day. They encounter some stepping stones and the Major crosses but he knocks the Captain off. Nutcracker saves the Captain and helps Clara cross. They then reach the Sea of Storms and Clara and Nutcracker go to find more supplies because Captain Candy lost his bag. Flower fairies help the pair find food, but the rock giant finds them and chases them. It destroys a boat the Major and Captain were building to cross the sea.

The snow faeries turn the sea into ice and the group goes with Marzipan across. Nutcracker cracks the ice and the rock giant falls through. Pimm tells the king, and he makes another trap. Marzipan leads them to the Sugar Plum Princess' island. They see a fake building of the Sugar Plum Princess' palace. When Major Mint, Captain Candy, and Nutcracker go into the fake castle, there is interior but it is made of cardboard, as is the castle exterior. A cage drops on the men and captures them. Clara is alone until the flower faeries bring a swing to carry her to the castle where the men are being held.

Clara sneaks past the Mouse King, who is building a bonfire in the castle courtyard. She comes to a dungeon and distracts its guards, but the dungeon is empty. Clara realizes how unnatural it would be to post guards at an empty room and, using logical thinking, smashes the invisible barrier which was hiding her friends. The group confronts the Mouse King and he prepares to shrink Clara again, but the Nutcracker deflects his spell and the Mouse King is shrunk to the size of a real mouse and flees into the sewers.

Clara kisses the Nutcracker and he transforms back into Prince Eric. Clara transforms into the Sugar Plum Princess and the palace transforms; the bonfire is replaced by a beautiful fountain. The Mouse King's reign is officially over. The people of Parthenia all celebrate and dance, and Eric asks Clara if she will stay. She decides she will, but Pimm and the Mouse King fly by and snatch Clara's necklace. They open it and she unwillingly returns home, just before Eric can declare his love for her. Fortunately, the Mouse King doesn't enjoy his victory for long, as Pimm is afterward knocked out by a snowball thrown by the Peppermint Girl, causing both villains to crash to the ground to their deaths.

Clara wakes up to find herself on her sofa with no nutcracker. No one believes what she says about the Nutcracker being a king, but her aunt comes in with a friend: Eric. He gives Clara her necklace and they dance. Grandfather Drosselmayer reluctantly allows Clara to travel with Aunt Elizabeth. Barbie finishes the story and Kelly is finally able to perform the ballet steps perfectly.

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Trivia

Barbie in the Nutcracker won "Best Animated Video Premiere Movie" at "Video Premiere Award" and was nominated for "Best Animated Character Performance".

In the crowd scenes, one group of peasants is used repeatedly.

This is the only Barbie movie that premiered on CBS.

In Land of Sweets, Hannah (Pink Shoes) is a little unsure about being brave enough to dance in front the audience. Madame Natasha acts as a mentor to Hannah and reassures her. In the end, they dance correctly and Kristyn is proud of Hannah, much like Kelly and Barbie in the movie.

A goof in the movie is that Clara kicks her shoe at the Mouse King's head while she hangs from the tree. When she gets down, the shoe is back on her foot with no sign of her having retrieved it.